Methods and systems for enhancing internet experiences

ABSTRACT

Previews of a target web site or other Internet-accessible resource are displayed in response to cursor control events. The previews are displayed in preview windows, which may have associated toolbars that include functions permitting various manipulations of the content displayed in the preview window. In some cases, the target web site is displayed as an image thereof in the preview window.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a nonprovisional of, claims priority to andincorporates by reference U.S. provisional patent application 60/753783,filed 23 Dec. 2006.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the display and/or consumption ofinformation, such as over the Internet. More particularly, the presentinvention relates to methods and systems for navigating, displaying,extracting, sharing and/or storing links, text and/or media usinggesture-based or similar interfaces to the Internet.

BACKGROUND

The use of search engines (e.g., Google™, Ask Jeeves™, Yahoo™, etc.) hasbecome ubiquitous for today's Internet users. Such search enginesprovide convenient means for locating resources of interest among theever growing number of Internet-accessible Web sites. However, becauseof the vast number of such sites catalogued or otherwise made accessibleby these search engines, users are often confronted with large numbersof results in response to search queries. Often, many of these searchresults are not relevant to the original queries.

Moreover, the Internet is growing rapidly in terms of the amount ofhosted information available to users, yet the access/interface to suchinformation remains somewhat restrictive. For example, RSS feeds providepages with densely packed links and users are expected to click throughto or open a new tab or window for each feed of interest. This need toclick through or open new tabs (or maximize new windows or windows thatcover the parent/original page without giving the user a choice to dootherwise) causes the user to lose the context of his/her originalsearch. Compounding this problem, to get back to the original workspacethe user is sometimes forced to reload the original page.

An example of the above-described inefficiencies in browsing isillustrated in FIG. 1. Shown is a list of search results (i.e.,displayed in a browser running on a user's computer) that has beenreturned in response to a search query. Not all of the search resultsreturned in response to the user's search query are necessarily relevantto that query. However, it is often difficult for the searcher todifferentiate between relevant and irrelevant results because of thelimited information returned by the search engine in a results page 10.For example, such results pages often provide only a list of hyperlinksto the target web pages associated therewith. In some cases, a few linesof text clipped from the target web page will be presented along withthe associated hyperlink, however, this text is usually limited to a fewwords which may or may not help the searcher in assessing the relevancyof the returned result.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, search results page 10 was returned inresponse to a search query directed to “flat screen lcd” (in theexamples presented herein a Google search result page is used, however,the present invention is applicable to any search results page returnedfrom any search engine and, indeed, to any web page whether or not it isa search results page). Links 12 a-12 e to target web sites aredisplayed along the left side of the page while links 14 a-14 f tocommercial sites are displayed along the right side of the page. Themodest amount of text displayed in conjunction with each of the resultlinks provides the searcher with little or no information on which tobase a decision as to the relevance of the associated web page/sitevis-a-vis the searcher's search. To fully determine whether or not theresult is truly relevant the searcher must actually click through to thetarget web page associated with the link.

The so-called “sponsored links” (14 a-14 f and 16 a-16 b) displayed onthe top and right side of the search results page 10 are usuallyassociated with commercial entities that pay for the privilege of havingtheir links appear in these prominent locations on the search resultspage. The links are said to be “sponsored” because the advertiser paysthe search engine provider to insure that the link to the target website appears in the designated location. Payment for this “sponsorship”may be based on either or both of a “cost per million” (CPM) or “costper click” (CPC) model. In the CPM model, advertisers pay based on thenumber of “impressions” or number of times their sponsored link ispresented in conjunction with a search result page. In the CPC model,advertisers pay for actual click-throughs to the target web siteassociated with the sponsored list.

Both the CPC and CPM models are inefficient. From the search engineprovider's point of view the CPC model is inefficient because valuablesearch result page real estate must be devoted to sponsored links evenif the user does not click through to the target web pages and theprovider is not compensated for the display of the sponsored link. Fromthe advertiser's point of view the CPM model is inefficient becauseadvertisers must pay for display of their sponsored links even if thoselinks fail to generate any actual user traffic to the target web sites.From the searcher's standpoint both models are inefficient because theinformation presented is so minimal as to make it virtually impossibleto know whether or not the linked site is truly relevant.

Further, the present interfaces to the Internet make extractinginformation somewhat restrictive and often involve multiple steps. Forexample, saving an image from a Web page accessed via the Internetrequires a user to right-click a mouse (or similar cursor controldevice) and specify a file name and storage location for a local copy ofthe image to be saved. In obtaining any necessary information the useroften must employ many mouse clicks and cursor scrolls. For example,visiting multiple search results and sub-results (links within theresults) before finding the desired information. Often the user ispresented with too much information as well. For example, image resultsreturned by conventional search engines or sites present the entireoriginal Web page containing the image, instead of just the image andsome information along with it.

In addition, the “point of information share”, such as email or instantmessaging is very disconnected from “the point of navigation andconsumption”. For example, sharing a link with oneself or othersrequires a user to copy and paste the link into a new message window inthe user's email client. There is also no easy, intuitive method ofsharing multiple files, links, text, images or videos.

Furthermore, the “point of access to references”, such as a searchengine interface or other Web site, is also very disconnected from “thepoint of navigation”. For example, looking up a definition for a word orphrase requires a user to open a new window or tab to conduct a search,needlessly taking the user away from the context of his/her navigation.

Geisler described a conceptual framework for enriching Web links bydisplaying small, information-rich visualizations—pop-up views—thatprovide a user with information about linked pages that can be used toevaluate the appropriateness of the pages before making a commitment toselect the link and wait for the page to load. See, e.g., Gary Geisler,“Enriched Links: A Framework For Improving Web Navigation Using Pop-UpViews” (2000). Three types of pop-up views were described: Previewpop-up views consisted of thumbnail imaged of the linked page; Overviewpop-up views provided a more detailed summary of the objects that makeup a linked page; and History pop-up views used Web access log data togive the user an indication of how the linked page has been accessed byother users. Importantly, the enriched links with pop-up views asdescribed by Geisler required that two significant operations occur onthe host Web server. First, the to data displayed on the pop-up viewshad to be pre-generated and saved, and second the Web serverconfiguration was required to be modified to append this data to therequested Web page at the time of the request.

Brunk et al. generalized the discussion of previews and the like indescribing so-called “agileviews”, which provide a framework forinterfaces that permit flexible control over different views for aninformation space. See, e.g., Gary Marchionini, Gary Geisler & BenBrunk, “Agileviews: A Human-Centered Framework for Interfaces toInformation Spaces”. Technical Report TR 2000-01, University of NorthCarolina (January 2000).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment of the present invention, while a first Web page thatincludes a link to a second Web page is loading in a browser, an anchorassociated with the link to the second Web page is identified and acursor control event handler is attached to the anchor. The first Webpage is displayed in the browser and, upon detecting a cursor controlevent associated with the cursor control event handler, instructionsdefined by the cursor control event handler are executed to display animage of content from the second Web page in a window superimposed overor adjacent to the first Web page as displayed in the browser. Prior to,or concurrently with, displaying the image of content from the secondWeb page, the content from the second Web page is fetched. This fetchingmay be done prior to detecting the cursor control event, or upondetecting the cursor control event.

The cursor control event may involve more than one cursor action. Forexample, upon detecting a first cursor action instructions defined bythe cursor control event handler may be executed to display an icon inproximity to the link to the second Web page on the first Web page.Then, upon detecting a second cursor action, the image of the second Webpage may be displayed in the window. This second cursor action may, forexample, be a mouseover of the icon displayed in proximity to the linkto the second Web page.

In some cases the cursor control event handler may be a script thatcauses a hidden frame to be rendered in the first Web page. The hiddenframe may be created through an application programming interfaceassociated with a <canvas>, <iframe>, or other DOM element, where suchan element is supported by the browser, but this is not critical to thepresent invention. Within the hidden frame, the browser may make arequest for the content of second Web page, which subsequently loads inthe hidden frame. The content of the second Web page loaded in thehidden frame may then be converted to the image thereof.

In some embodiments of the invention, an interactive browsing view,instead of an image representation, may be used to display the secondWeb page. In some cases, the user may interact directly with the secondWeb page, for example by selecting links displayed in the second Webpage (e.g., thereby navigating to other pages) or performing otheractions with or within the second Web page.

In some cases, the content of the second Web page, or the presentationthereof, may be altered from its original form. For example, whenpreviewing a news article from a news Web site, an associated table ofcontents may be removed to optimize the use of the limited displaywindow. More generally, some embodiments of the invention may providefor highlighting, summarizing, compressing, or otherwise bringingattention to regions of the Web page that are relevant to the user'sbrowsing context. For example, words in the previewed Web page matchinga search query term may be highlighted or otherwise accentuated whendisplayed in the preview window. Additionally or alternatively, regionsof the second (or other previewed) Web page deemed most relevant to thecontext of the user's current browsing session may be extracted andconcatenated together to form a compressed representation of thecontent/regions in the second Web page of most interest to the user.

In some embodiments of the invention, the second Web page may bepresented via “progressive disclosure” of content, wherein a subset ofthe page's content is made initially visible. In response to actions bythe user, such as a cursor control event, the displayed region ofcontent may be expanded to reveal more/additional content, or related(e.g., within the context of the browsing session) information. Forexample, a cursor control event such as selection of a button placednext to a search result description may result in the summary beingexpanded in place to reveal more of the page content. Alternatively, orin addition, selection of a key word in an article may open a previewwindow in which is displayed information related to the key word.Further, in response to a mouseover of text or other action, imagesrelated to the text may be displayed in a preview window.

Where appropriate, the second Web page may be a previously cachedversion of the second Web page. Further, the image of the content of thesecond Web page may be displayed according to one or more visualeffects. For example, the image may be displayed so as to besuccessively scaled as it is revealed. In any event, upon display of theimage of content of the second Web page, a fee for such display maybecome due.

A further embodiment of the invention involves displaying a preview of asecond Web page linked to by a first Web page displayed in a browser.The preview is displayed in a preview window associated with the browserand in response to a cursor control event associated with the first Webpage. The preview window includes a toolbar providing access to one ormore functions for manipulating content shown in the preview window. Thetoolbar may provide access to one or more functions, such as a firstfunction allowing a user to trace a navigation history within thepreview window; a second function to close the preview window; a thirdfunction to open a communication interface through which the user canshare contextual information concerning the second Web page; a fourthfunction to maintain display of the preview window; a fifth function todisplay content of the preview window in a full screen fashion; a sixthfunction to accumulate previews/information as a stack (e.g., accessiblevia a toolbar); a seventh function to publish either the URL (or otherlocator/address) or a thumbnail or the actual page to a server (such asFlickr, Delicious, etc); and an eighth function of converting thepreview to a postcard (e.g., as may contain a music element that wasattached by the user or from another Web site, and/or which may alsocontain a “sponsored stamp”, providing a vehicle for monetizing theassociated images (e.g., via a revenue sharing agreement or otherarrangement)).

The preview window may be configured to permit display of an RSS feedassociated with the second Web page, a WAP version of the second Webpage, and/or of content from other Web pages deemed similar to thesecond Web page.

In still another embodiment of the invention, in response to a cursorcontrol event associated with selected content of a first Web pagedisplayed in a browser, the selected content is submitted as a referenceto a designated or customizable Web site selected from a menu displayedin response to the cursor control event. Results from the designated Website are presented in a preview window superimposed over the first Webpage displayed in the browser. The cursor control event may be a rightmouse click and the designated Web site may be a search engine, anon-line dictionary or an on-line encyclopedia.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, information is extractedfrom Internet content in response to a cursor control operationassociated with a cursor control menu option, and content of a previewwindow is saved to a designated storage site in response thereto.

Embodiments of the invention may incorporate methods for facilitatingrelevancy feedback and thereby refining the results of a search query.For example, a user may highlight (e.g., via a cursor control action orset of actions) or otherwise indicate interest in information in aparticular region of the first or second Web pages (i.e., the Web pagedisplayed in the browser window or the preview window), and thatinformation may be conveyed to the search engine for use in refining thesearch. This feedback approach allows for adjustment or refinement ofthe search results in an attempt to better match the user's informationneed. Additionally or alternatively, the invention may observe andanalyze user behavior (e.g. mouse movements, clicks, scrolling, andother user input data) with respect to the browsing interface, and inferinterest and/or lack of interest in certain regions of Web page content.Such information may be used to provide modified search results to theuser.

A further embodiment of the invention provides a graphical userinterface for a computer system. The interface includes a cursor controlmenu having arranged therein a single command, which when invoked inresponse to a cursor control operation, will cause the computer systemto execute instructions to save designated content of a presentlydisplayed Web page to a designated storage site.

Still another embodiment of the invention provides a graphical userinterface for a computer system. This interface includes a cursorcontrol menu having arranged therein one or more commands, which wheninvoked in response to a cursor control operation, will cause thecomputer system to execute instructions to submit selected content of afirst Web page displayed in a browser of the computer system as areference to a designated Web site, and present results from thedesignated Web site in a preview window superimposed over the first Webpage displayed in the browser.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustrated by way of example, but notlimitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional search result Web page returned inresponse to a search query;

FIG. 2 illustrates a preview window configured in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention and displaying a preview of a Website linked to by a hyperlink in a search result page;

FIG. 3 illustrates a process for providing a preview of a Web site inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a preview window configured inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention and displayingcontent associated with a sponsored link of a search result Web page;

FIG. 5 illustrates a preview window having a toolbar configured inaccordance with embodiments of the present invention to permitmanipulation of content displayed in the preview window;

FIG. 6 illustrates a computer system in which embodiments of the presentinvention may be embodied and or operate;

FIGS. 7 illustrates an example of a communication interface accessedthrough the toolbar shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a cursor control menu having arrangedtherein commands for submitting selected content of a Web page as areference to a designated Web site; and

FIG. 9 illustrates an example of results returned from such designatedWeb site in a preview window.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To alleviate problems such as those discussed above as are associatedwith the manner in which users navigate, extract, share and storeinformation over the Internet, the present invention introduces theconcept of a “quick view” or “preview” of a target web site (e.g., asreturned in response to a search query) or other Internet-accessibleresource. In one embodiment of the present invention, quick views aredisplayed in response to gestures, such as mouseover events wherein auser positions a cursor over or near a hyperlink. Accordingly, thepresent invention is not limited to returning quick views associatedwith search engine result pages, but may instead be used with anyhyperlinks or similar anchors associated with any Web page rendered in abrowser.

In part, the problem of navigating to relevant links is solved byintroducing a quick view of any hyperlink associated with any Web site.The quick view may be initiated and presented in a variety of differentways. As indicated above, in one embodiment of the present inventionquick views are displayed in response to mouseover events. In anotherembodiment of the present invention, previews are displayed in responseto two consecutive mouseover events wherein a user positions a cursorover a hyperlink, and then subsequently over an icon associated withthat hyperlink (e.g., positioned in proximity to the hyperlink), whichicon is displayed as a result of the first mouseover event. In stillanother embodiment of the present invention previews are displayed inresponse to a hot-key event coordinated with a mouseover (e.g., pressinga <CTRL> or other key on a keyboard event when mousing over a targetlink). In yet another embodiment of the present invention previews aredisplayed in response to selection (e.g., by mouse click) of a targetlink, wherein a different selection operation (e.g., a double click)causes a browser redirect. A stack ensures that previewed content ofinterest is preserved as a thumbnail and the user can come back to itlater while continuing to browse the “parent page”.

The preview window displayed in accordance with the present inventionmay offer or permit any conventional browser functionality, such asBack, Jump to, Close, Share, Lock, RSS, WAP, Sidekick, Stumble, FullScreen, etc., in order to further facilitate solutions to theaforementioned problems. Back allows users to trace their click historywithin a current preview session. Close simply closes the previewwindow. Share initiates a communication interface (e.g., a message box)through which users can share contextual information with themselves orothers (e.g., by providing one or more email addresses). Lock ensuresthat the preview window does not close accidentally (Lock may operate asa toggle and so have On/Off modes). RSS recognizes whether or not thecurrent preview page has RSS feeds and, upon a further cursor controloperation (e.g., a mouse click), displays such feeds either in a drawerthat slides out from the preview window or by replacing the currentcontent of the preview window. WAP recognizes whether or not the currentpage has a WAP version of the page and, upon a further cursor controloperation (e.g., a mouse click), displays the WAP page either in adrawer that slides out from the preview window or by replacing thecurrent contents of the preview window. Sidekick slides out a drawer ofcontent from a side of the preview window and features thumbnails ortext references to other sites that are either similar by nature/contentto the current site displayed in the preview window or sponsored links.Stumble allows the user to change the content in the current previewwindow, replacing it with one of similar content. Full-screen initiatesa full-screen mode to enhance the consumption of information displayedin the current preview page.

The preview window of the present invention can also display “select”information from the underlying content of the target link. That is, thepresent invention permits configuring the preview window (or theprocesses which determine the content to be displayed therein) tointelligently parse out unnecessary or undesired information in thetarget page to present the user with a focused view of the important ordesired information. For example, the preview window may return just animage in search results from an image-based search engine (e.g.,images.google.com).

In part, the problem of extracting information from Internet content ismade easier by using options to either selectively, or as a whole, savethe content of the preview window or current page to a local hard drive,designated storage unit, or a server on the Internet, etc. Suchfunctionality may be provided as a cursor control operation (e.g., aright-click function in traditional windows/tabs) and/or as a toolbaritem (e.g., within the preview window).

In part, the problem of sharing information is made easier by usingoptions to either selectively, or as a whole, share some or all of thecontent of the preview window or current page without using thetraditional email clients. The user can share links without losingcontext and/or focus using the Share function by registering a validemail address. The Share function can also import and save addressesfrom existing email clients/hosts. Such functionality may be provided asa cursor control operation (e.g., a right-click function in traditionalwindows/tabs) and/or as a toolbar item (e.g., within the previewwindow).

Another function allows for publishing either the URL (or other locator)or a thumbnail or even the actual Web page being previewed to a server(such as Flickr, Delicious, etc). Moreover, the preview may be convertedto an electronic “postcard”. For example the content displayed in thepreview window may be converted to an image (if it is not already inthat form) and stored as such. A text field may be attached or includedwith the image object to form a “postcard” (in some cases this may be aseparate file from the image). Such a postcard may contain musicelements (e.g., attached by the user or from another site such asSellaband.com). The postcard may also contain a image in the form of a“stamp”, allowing for use of “sponsored stamps” as a way to monetize theimages associated therewith (e.g., via a revenue sharing arrangement).The user may share or other wise transmit the postcards with/to others.

A further function may allow for the accumulation ofpreviews/information as a “stack” (e.g., associated with a toolbar). Inpart, the problem of sharing a chain of information (e.g., links, files,images, videos, etc.) is solved using such a stack feature of thepresent invention. Using the stack, the user can mark content within apage or preview window to add it to a dynamically created custom stack(an accumulation of a series of links). This functionality is furtherdiscussed below.

In part, the problem of access to references is solved using a cursorcontrol (e.g., a right-click) search mechanism. In accordance with thepresent invention, a user can simply select a word or a phrase thatappears on a Web page displayed within a browser interface and thensubmit that word/phrase as a query to any site (e.g., including but notrestricted to search engines such as Google, on-line dictionaries suchas FreeDictionary, on-line encyclopedias such as Wikipedia, and imagesearch engines such as Google Images). The results are then displayedusing the preview window while keeping the user in the context (view) ofthe current/original page.

As will be more fully described below, the quick view or preview may bean image of a target web page superimposed over the search result pagein response to the mouseover event. The target web page itself may beprefetched as or after the search result page has been loaded by thebrowser, or may be fetched at or about the time of the mouseover eventand saved in the browser cache. Rather than displaying the target webpage in a separate window, however, it is an image of the target webpage that is displayed to the searcher.

In some cases, rather than retrieving the target web page itself, it mayprove convenient to retrieve a cached version of that web page as storedby the search engine provider. For example, where the time required todownload the target web page proves to be excessive, the cached versionof the page may instead be retrieved and used for purposes of the quickview. Alternatively, or in addition, it may be convenient in some casesto store quick view images of web pages on servers associated with thesearch engine provider and display those images as quick views inresponse to mouseover or other desired events.

FIG. 2 illustrates this concept of a quick view in greater detail. Inthis illustration the same search result page 10 as shown in FIG. 1 isbeing displayed in a browser window. The searcher has now positionedhis/her cursor 18 near the hyperlink associated with the first,non-sponsored link result 12 a. In response, a quick view 20 of theassociated web site has been displayed superimposed over the searchresult page 10. Previewed links may change color to indicate thosealready viewed and/or the one currently being viewed.

The quick view 20 of the target web page (or, in other cases,information elements such as images, video files, audio files, text,etc) associated with the “Samsung LCD TV Flat Screen Monitor” hyperlink12 a which was returned in response to the “flat screen lcd” searchquery is an image of the actual web page, which itself may have beenprefetched before the link was “mousedover” by the searcher or,preferably, as the user positioned his/her cursor 18 over or near thatlink. In one embodiment of the present invention, the mouseover actioncauses an event handler for creating the quick view to be called. Theevent handler is identified by script added to the search engine resultpage at the time the page is loaded by the browser.

That is, as the search engine result page is being loaded, anchorsassociated with hyperlinks to target web pages are identified andmouseover event handler scripts are attached to each such anchor. Anexample of such an event handler may be a script that causes a hiddenframe to be rendered in the search result web page. Such a hidden framemay be created through an application programming interface associatedwith the <canvas>, <iframe>, or other DOM element supported by somebrowsers. Alternatively, for those browsers which do not support suchelements, a custom extension to support the creation of such a hiddenframe may be required.

Within this hidden frame, the browser makes an HTTP (or otherappropriate) request to the target web page identified by the hyperlinkof interest (e.g., the one associated with the subject event handleraction) and the page loads in the frame in the conventional fashion.Because the frame is hidden, however, this target web page will not bedisplayed to the searcher. Conceptually, this can be envisioned as if anunseen actor behind the “screen” of the search result page currentlydisplayed to the user has “seen” the user position his/her cursor near alink on the search result page and, in response, the unseen actor hasretrieved the associated web page but has kept is hidden behind thecurrent search result page. The target web page may be loaded into thebrowser's cache.

Now, rather than display the newly retrieved target web page in aseparate window, the <canvas> attribute is used to render the hiddenframe containing the web page into a bit mapped image. A detailedtutorial describing the <canvas> attribute and its use may be found athttp://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Canvas_tutorial. For purposes ofthe present invention, the use of the <canvas> attribute is not criticaland, as indicated above, custom scripts may be provided to accomplishthe end result of creating a scalable image of the target web page. Insome cases, for example where the target web page does not load in thehidden frame within a designated timeout period, the browser may beinstructed to retrieve a cached version of the target web page asmaintained by the search engine provider or other site. This previouslycached page is loaded in the hidden frame and an image thereof created.

The image of the target web site (or the cached variant thereof) is nowinserted as a layer onto the displayed search result page. If thebrowser supports the opacity attribute, then the display may be effectedas a “fade-in”. In other cases, the display may be effected using othervisual effects. Further, the image may be successively scaled as it isrevealed to the searcher so that it can appear to grow from small sizeto larger size (such as that illustrated in FIG. 2). The use of thescaling and/or other visual effects or rendering techniques is notcritical to the present invention. Similarly on a mouseout event, theevent handler may modify the scaling and/or opacity attributes of theimage of the target web page so as to have the image shrink and/orfade-out from the user's view.

Referring then to FIG. 3, the basic procedure 30 involved in creatingpreview is one of capturing the content of a target web page (e.g., apage pointed to by a hyperlink on a currently rendered page in abrowser) into a hidden frame. Converting the hidden frame to an image(and in doing so potentially clipping only a portion of the entire webpage within the hidden frame). Displaying the image of the target webpage to the user (potentially making use of scaling, fading and/or othervisual effects). The target web page and/or the image thereof may bestored (temporarily at least) in the browser's cache.

In detail, procedure 30 begins with step 32 in which the loading of asearch result or other Web page with anchors therein is detected. Then,at step 34, event handler scripts are added to the anchors as the pageis loaded in the browser. Next, at step 36, upon a mouseover, or otherdesignated event, a hidden frame is created and the target Web page isloaded. Then at step 38, the frame with the target Web page loadedtherein is converted to a scaleable image. That image is displayed(e.g., with a variety of visual effects as discussed above) at step 40.Finally, at step 42, the image may be removed from view on a mouseout orother designated event (e.g., again using one or more visual effects).

Note that an alternative process is also shown in which target web pagesare prefetched prior to a mouseover or other event. In such cases it ispreferable (though not strictly necessary) to prefetch pages in serialfashion (e.g., in the order in which they appear is a search resultpage, in relation to their proximity to the cursor's present position onthe screen, etc.) so as not to cause excessive demand for bandwidth. Inthis way the images can be ready for display upon mouseover, withouthaving to wait for the target web page to be loaded in the hidden frame.In some cases it may be desirable to indicate the availability of aquick view image of a target web page by highlighting the associatedhyperlink, displaying an icon near said hyperlink, or otherwise.

In this alternative process, following step 34 when event handlerscripts are added to the anchors in the pages step 44 of prefetching thetarget Web pages into hidden frames is performed. Next, step 46 ofconverting these frames into images is performed. Finally, the imagesare displayed on a mouseover or other event associated with theassociated link (step 48). As before, on mouseout or other event, theimages may be removed from view (step 42).

In either case, the web page (or other information) is displayed inresponse to a mouseover or other event without the searcher having toaffirmatively select a hyperlink to click through to a target web site.By immediately displaying the quick view of the target web site in thismanner, the searcher can make a much better informed decision as to therelevancy of the search result. Decisions about whether or not to clickthrough to the actual web site associated with the search resulthyperlink can now be based on more than a few key words in context. As aresult, searchers can find relevant information much more quickly.

In the context of sponsored links (see e.g., FIG. 4), allowing for thequick view of web site or other information associated with thosesponsored links provides many advantages. For example, searchers can nowimmediately determine the relevancy of the sponsored link simply bymousing over such links and viewing the image of the target web page inrelation thereto. From the search engine provider's point of view an newrevenue model—one based on “cash per view” (CPV) is available.Advertisers can be charged for quick views by searchers instead of mereimpressions (quick views can be trackable on the basis of downloads tohidden frames or otherwise). Presumably, a quick view provides a richerview of the advertiser's featured goods and/or services and so a moresignificant fee can be charged than for a mere impression of a sponsoredlink. At the same time, the search engine provider does not losevaluable search engine result page real estate because all that isdisplayed in the first instance is the same sponsored link.

FIG. 4 shows a preview page 50 being displayed when the user positionscursor 18 over sponsored link 52. Preview page 50 may be generated anddisplayed in accordance with any or the processes described above. Fromthe advertiser's point of view, a CPV model provides better use ofadvertising dollars inasmuch as actual page views that lead to clickthroughs are more likely to generate actual sales. After all, thesearcher has a much better idea of what is being offered than was thecase for viewing the sponsored link alone and so one would expect thatany subsequent click through would indicate true desire to purchase onthe part of the searcher.

Quick views of sponsored links can be tracked in several ways (e.g., inorder to capture billing information). In one case, a separate servermay be imposed between the user and the target web site so as to allowfor tracking of quick view requests and later reporting thereof to an adserver or other mechanism. In other embodiments, at or about the sametime as a quick view request is made for a sponsored link, anotification of that request may be dispatched to the associated ad viewserver to allow for tracking of the request. In still furtherembodiments, quick views for sponsored links could be retired fromspecially configured web servers that can tract the requests.

There are several means for implementing the methods and systems of thepresent invention. In one such implementation a browser plug in isprovided to the user's Internet browser (e.g., in the form of a tool baror perhaps with no visual indication). The plug-in provides thefunctionality to add the event handler scripts to the hyperlinks on thesearch result or other pages, to generate hidden frames and makerequests (e.g., HTTP requests) for the target web sites identified bythe hyperlinks returned in response to a search query with the searchresults page and convert the returned web pages to images, and todisplay the images as discussed above.

The present invention may also serve a prophylactic purpose in that byallowing searchers to display results through mouseover events such asthose described above, users are less likely to be lured to malicioussites where spyware or other malware may be inadvertently downloaded.

Of course, all of the above features may be provided not only forInternet search results but also for local search results, e.g., usingdesktop search tools and the like. Thus, users may be better able todetermine which files or other objects are relevant to their searches.In addition to web pages, audio files, video files or other content maybe cached and presented in the manner described above.

In addition to static web pages, the present invention may be used toprovide quick views of flash movies associated with web pages or otherdynamically loadable content. So long as the browser in which a web pageis to be rendered is capable of rendering the target objects (and insome cases this may require the use of one or more plug-ins, for exampleplug-ins or other applications (e.g., players) to handle .pdf or otherdocuments, audio and/or video files, images, etc., then the quick viewprocedures described above may be used. Because the quick view relies onthe use of a hidden frame within the browser, all of the functionalityavailable to the browser is available to the quick view process.

In some cases the returned web pages may be too large to convenientlydisplay as quick views superimposed over the search result of otherpage. Therefore, the target web page may be clipped prior to conversionto an image. Indeed, multiple such clippings may be made of differentsegments of a target web page such that an illusion of scrolling may beachieved when a user mouses over a portion of the quick view image. Forexample, if the user mouses over a lower portion of the quick viewimage, that image may be replaced by an image associated with asuccessive portion of the target web page so as to give the appearanceof scrolling down on the actual web page. Alternatively, a target webpage may be converted to an image that is subsequently decimated orotherwise compressed so as to be rendered conveniently as an overlay ofthe search result page.

Other search enhancement features associated with embodiments of thepresent invention include toolbar buttons to allow a searcher tosuppress unwanted search results from reappearing in response to newsearch queries. For example, often a searcher will modify a search queryin an effort to refine the search results returned. If a search resultreturned in response to a previous query has been designated as notbeing of interest, this designation can be cached in the browser cacheand when a new query is executed any marked results that are not ofinterest can be omitted from the search result page as displayed to thesearcher. Such caching of these decisions and the deletion of searchresults may be made at the browser level or the server level dependingon the implementation.

Additional tool bar features can include the ability to save searchresults to the user's personal computer in a user-friendly fashion.Presently, when a searcher saves a search result page, the pageinformation is saved as a number of different objects collected in acommon folder and referenced by a locally stored html page. This is aninconvenient format and the present invention permits the results to besaved to a hyperlink list indexed by time or other factor. Thisconvenient grouping of search queries and results can be very useful fora user. Search events can be given descriptive labels and the searchresults may be coded to indicate which links were affirmativelyselected, which links were mousedover for quick views and which linkswere ignored.

The search results may be viewable in a dynamically rendered web page(e.g., for which quick views may be generated). Further, search resultsmay be grouped chronologically or by other convenient metric. Thisallows users to search across past search results. Unlike previousversions of similar tools, these results are saved to a user's personalcomputer instead of to a search engine provider's server accessiblethrough a personalized account or other means.

Turning now to FIG. 5, a preview window 54 displayed in response to amouseover or other event is illustrated super positioned over a searchresult page which includes several links (e.g., returned in response toa search query). This preview window 54 includes a toolbar 56. Toolbar56 includes a number of icons 58-66, each of which is associated withfunctionality described above. Moreover, in this instance the previewwindow is a fully functioning web page, not merely an image of such apage. Hence, all of the links are active and a user can navigate withinthe preview window 54 just as he/she would in a regular window displayedin a browser.

Icon 58 is an arrow associated with the Back function discussed above.Back allows a user to trace his/her click history within a currentpreview session. That is, because full navigation is now permittedwithin preview window 54, a user may advance to further web pages byselecting links in a currently displayed page in the preview window. Toreturn to the original (or immediately preceding page) in the previewwindow, the Back arrow 58 may be used. Similar functionality has beenprovided in browsers in the past and so need not be discussed furtherherein.

Full-screen icon 60 initiates a full-screen mode to enhance theconsumption of information displayed in the current preview window 54,selecting full screen icon 60 will open a new browser window or tab anddirect the browser to the Web address associated with the page currentlydisplayed in preview window 54. in some cases the content of the previewwindow may be more easily consumed in the full screen mode.

Share icon 62 initiates a communication interface (e.g., a message box)through which users can share contextual information with themselves orothers (e.g., by providing one or more email addresses). For example, asshown in FIG. 7, selecting share icon 62 may open an interface 68through which a user can share (e.g., via email or other means) the webpage currently displayed in preview window 54 with others. In some casesthe user may be required to verify his/her identity before gainingaccess to the communication interface.

Close icon 64 may be used to close the preview window 54. When engaged,lock icon 66 ensures that the preview window does not close accidentally(Lock may operate as a toggle and so have On/Off modes).

The present invention also enhances access to references using a cursorcontrol (e.g., a right-click) search mechanism. Referring to FIG. 8, auser may select (e.g., highlight) a word or a phrase 70 that appears ona Web page 72 displayed within a browser interface. Then, in response toa cursor control operation (e.g., a right click) a menu 74 opens. One ofthe options in menu 74 is a search submenu 76, which allows the user tosubmit the highlighted word/phrase as a query to any site (e.g.,including but not restricted to search engines such as Google, on-linedictionaries such as FreeDictionary, on-line encyclopedias such asWikipedia, and image search engines such as Google Images). The resultsare then displayed using the preview window while keeping the user inthe context (view) of the current/original page (see, e.g., FIG. 9 wherethe definition of the highlighted term “consist” is displayed in previewwindow 78). Similarly, extracting information from Internet content ismade easier by the present invention through the use of cursor controlmenu options to either selectively, or as a whole, save the content of apreview window or current Web page to a local hard drive or otherdesignated storage site.

Various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented with theaid of computer-implemented processes or methods (a.k.a. programs orroutines) that may be rendered in any computer language including,without limitation, C#, C/C++, Fortran, COBOL, PASCAL, assemblylanguage, markup languages (e.g., HTML, SGML, XML, VOXML), and the like,as well as object-oriented environments such as the Common ObjectRequest Broker Architecture (CORBA), Java™ and the like. In general,however, all of the aforementioned terms as used herein are meant toencompass any series of logical steps performed in a sequence toaccomplish a given purpose.

In view of the above, it should be appreciated that some portions of thedetailed description presented above are presented in terms ofalgorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data within acomputer memory. These algorithmic descriptions and representations arethe means used by those skilled in the computer science arts to mosteffectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in theart. An algorithm is here, and generally, conceived to be aself-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result. The stepsare those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities.Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take the form ofelectrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred,combined, compared and otherwise manipulated. It has proven convenientat times, principally for reasons of common usage, to refer to thesesignals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbersor the like. It should be borne in mind, however, that all of these andsimilar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physicalquantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities.Unless specifically stated otherwise, it will be appreciated thatthroughout the description of the present invention, use of terms suchas “processing”, “computing”, “calculating”, “determining”, “displaying”or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, orsimilar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transformsdata represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computersystem's registers and memories into other data similarly represented asphysical quantities within the computer system memories or registers orother such information storage, transmission or display devices.

The present invention can be implemented with an apparatus to performthe operations described herein. This apparatus may be speciallyconstructed for the required purposes, or it may comprise ageneral-purpose computer, selectively activated or reconfigured by acomputer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may bestored in a computer readable storage medium, such as, but not limitedto, any type of disk including floppy disks, optical disks, CD-ROMs, andmagnetic-optical disks, read-only memories (ROMs), random accessmemories (RAMs), EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical cards, or any typeof media suitable for storing electronic instructions, and each coupledto a computer system bus.

The algorithms and processes presented herein are not inherently relatedto any particular computer or other apparatus. Various general-purposesystems may be used with programs in accordance with the teachingsherein, or it may prove convenient to construct more specializedapparatus to perform the required method. For example, any of themethods according to the present invention can be implemented inhard-wired circuitry, by programming a general-purpose processor or byany combination of hardware and software. One of ordinary skill in theart will immediately appreciate that the invention can be practiced withcomputer system configurations other than those described below,including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems,microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, DSP devices,network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Theinvention can also be practiced in distributed computing environmentswhere tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linkedthrough a communications network. The required structure for a varietyof these systems will appear from the description below.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computer system 200upon which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented. Thepresent invention is usable with currently available personal computers,mini-mainframes and the like.

Computer system 200 includes a bus 202 or other communication mechanismfor communicating information, and a processor 204 coupled with the bus202 for processing information. Computer system 200 also includes a mainmemory 206, such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamicstorage device, coupled to the bus 202 for storing information andinstructions to be executed by processor 204. Main memory 206 also maybe used for storing temporary variables or other intermediateinformation during execution of instructions to be executed by processor204. Computer system 200 further includes a read only memory (ROM) 208or other static storage device coupled to the bus 202 for storing staticinformation and instructions for the processor 204. A storage device210, such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, is provided and coupled tothe bus 202 for storing information and instructions.

Computer system 200 may be coupled via the bus 202 to a display 212,such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a flat panel display, for displayinginformation to a computer user. An input device 214, includingalphanumeric and other keys, is coupled to the bus 202 for communicatinginformation and command selections to the processor 204. Another type ofuser input device is cursor control 216, such as a mouse, a trackball,or cursor direction keys for communicating direction information andcommand selections to processor 204 and for controlling cursor movementon the display 212. This input device typically has two degrees offreedom in two axes, a first axis (e.g., x) and a second axis (e.g., y)allowing the device to specify positions in a plane.

The invention is related to the use of a computer system 200, such asthe illustrated system, to generate a logical data model and a physicaldata model of a data base, maintain correspondence between the logicaldata model and physical data model, and create a data warehouse using aphysical database design and data description language created from thephysical data model. According to one embodiment of the invention, thelogical data model, physical data model, data warehouse and display isprovided by computer system 200 in response to processor 204 executingsequences of instructions contained in main memory 206. Suchinstructions may be read into main memory 206 from anothercomputer-readable medium, such as storage device 210. However, thecomputer-readable medium is not limited to devices such as storagedevice 210. For example, the computer-readable medium may include afloppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any othermagnetic medium, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, any other optical medium, punchcards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, aRAM, a PROM, an EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip orcartridge, a carrier wave embodied in an electrical, electromagnetic,infrared, or optical signal, or any other medium from which a computercan read. Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in themain memory 206 causes the processor 204 to perform the process stepsdescribed below. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitry may beused in place of or in combination with computer software instructionsto implement the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are notlimited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

Computer system 200 also includes a communication interface 218 coupledto the bus 202. Communication interface 208 provides a two-way datacommunication as is known. For example, communication interface 218 maybe an integrated services digital network (ISDN) card or a modem toprovide a data communication connection to a corresponding type oftelephone line. As another example, communication interface 218 may be alocal area network (LAN) card to provide a data communication connectionto a compatible LAN. In the preferred embodiment communication interface218 is coupled to a virtual blackboard. Wireless links may also beimplemented. In any such implementation, communication interface 218sends and receives electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals whichcarry digital data streams representing various types of information.For example, two or more computer systems 200 may be networked togetherin a conventional manner with each using the communication interface218.

Network link 220 typically provides data communication through one ormore networks to other data devices. For example, network link 220 mayprovide a connection through local network 222 to a host computer 224 orto data equipment operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) 226.ISP 226 in turn provides data communication services through the worldwide packet data communication services through the world wide packetdata communication network now commonly referred to as the “Internet”228. Local network 222 and Internet 228 both use electrical,electromagnetic or optical signals which carry digital data streams. Thesignals through the various networks and the signals on network link 220and through communication interface 218, which carry the digital data toand from computer system 200, are exemplary forms of carrier wavestransporting the information.

Computer system 200 can send messages and receive data, includingprogram code, through the network(s), network link 220 and communicationinterface 218. In the Internet example, a server 230 might transmit arequested code for an application program through Internet 228, ISP 226,local network 222 and communication interface 218. In accordance withthe invention, one such downloaded application provides for informationdiscovery and visualization as described herein. The received code maybe executed by processor 204 as it is received, and/or stored in storagedevice 210, or other non-volatile storage for later execution.

The present invention is also applicable to RSS feeds and readerstherefore. Because RSS is generally presented in an XML format it can berendered in a fashion similar to the HTML information associated with aweb site. Quick view for RSS content is an improvement over the staticreaders presently offered.

Thus, methods and systems relating to the display of informationreturned from a search engine, such as an Internet or personal computerdesktop search engine, etc., and more particularly, to the display ofsuch information without the need for the user to affirmatively select ahyperlink associated with a search engine query result or open a newwindow have been described. Various alternatives to the embodimentsdiscussed above should be deemed to be within the scope of the presentinvention. For example, the preview window may be superimposed over ordisplayed adjacent to the primary (or parent) web page displayed in thebrowser. Moreover, the image or navigable web page displayed in thepreview window may be fetched either prior to or concurrently with thedisplay thereof in the preview window.

In some embodiments of the invention, the preview window may be used todisplay an interactive web page rather than just an image thereof. Insuch cases, the user may interact directly with the interactive page,for example by navigating to other pages by clicking links or performingactions within the page initially displayed. Further, the content of thepage displayed in the preview window may be altered from its original.For example, when previewing a news article on a news Web site, thetable of contents could be removed to optimize screen area usage.Alternatively, or in addition, highlighting, summarizing, compressing,or other techniques may be used to indicate regions of the page that arerelevant to the user's browsing context. For example, search terms maybe highlighted in the previewed page. Additionally or alternatively,regions of the previewed page deemed most relevant to the user'sbrowsing context may be extracted and concatenated together to form acompressed representation.

In some embodiments of the invention, the previewed page may bepresented via “progressive disclosure” of content, wherein only aportion of the entire page content is initially presented. Later, inresponse to user activity, such as a cursor control event, additionalcontent on the previewed page may be retrieved and/or revealed. Forexample, clicking a button placed next to a search result descriptionmay expand the summary associated with the search result (e.g., in placeon the web page) to reveal more of the page content. Alternatively, orin addition, selecting a word in an article may open a preview windowdisplaying information related to that word. Also, a mouseover event mayinitiate a display of images related to the moused-over region of thepage. Such images may be displayed in a preview window or other element.

Embodiments of the invention may incorporate methods for facilitatingrelevancy feedback and thereby refining the results of a search query.For example, a user may highlight or otherwise indicate interest in aparticular region of a parent or preview page, and that informationconveyed to a search engine. Such feedback allows for refining a searchaccording to relevant results, as selected by the user. Additionally oralternatively, the user's behavior (e.g., mouse movements, clicks,scrolling, and other user input data) may be observed and analyzed withrespect to the browsing interface, and the observations/analysis usedinfer interest and/or lack of interest in certain regions of a page.Such information may be used to provide a modified set of results to theuser.

1. A method, comprising: while a first Web page that includes a link toa second Web page is loading in a browser, identifying an anchorassociated with the link to the second Web page and attaching a cursorcontrol event handler to the anchor; displaying the first Web page thebrowser; upon detecting a cursor control event associated with thecursor control event handler, executing instructions defined by thecursor control event handler to display an image of content from thesecond Web page in a window superimposed over the first Web page asdisplayed in the browser.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein prior todisplaying the image of content from the second Web page, fetching thecontent from the second Web page.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinprior to detecting the cursor control event, fetching the content fromthe second Web page.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein upon detectingthe cursor control event, fetching the content from the second Web page.5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cursor control event comprisesmore than one cursor action.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein upondetecting a first cursor action of the cursor control event, executinginstructions defined by the cursor control event handler to display anicon in proximity to the link to the second Web page on the first Webpage in the browser.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein upon detecting asecond cursor action of the cursor control event, displaying the imageof the second Web page in the window.
 8. The method of claim 7, whereinthe second cursor action comprises a mouseover of the icon located inproximity to the link to the second Web page.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein the cursor control event handler comprises a script that causesa hidden frame to be rendered in the first Web page.
 10. The method ofclaim 9, wherein the hidden frame is created through an applicationprogramming interface associated with a <canvas>, <iframe>, or other DOMelement.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein within the hidden frame, thebrowser makes a request for the content of second Web page, whichsubsequently loads in the hidden frame.
 12. The method of claim 11,wherein the content of the second Web page loaded in the hidden frame isconverted to the image thereof.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein thesecond Web page comprises a previously cached version of the second Webpage.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the content of thesecond Web page is displayed according to one or more visual effects.15. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the content of thesecond Web page is displayed so as to be successively scaled as it isrevealed.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein upon display of the imageof content of the second Web page, a fee for such display becomes due.17. A method, comprising displaying a preview of a second Web pagelinked to by a first Web page displayed in a browser, the preview beingdisplayed in a preview window associated with the browser and inresponse to a cursor control event associated with the first Web page,the preview window including a toolbar providing access to one or morefunctions for manipulating content shown in the preview window.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, wherein the toolbar provides access to one or moreof the following functions: a first function allowing a user to trace anavigation history within the preview window; a second function to closethe preview window; a third function to open a communication interfacethrough which the user can share contextual information concerning thesecond Web page; a fourth function to maintain display of the previewwindow; and a fifth function to display content of the preview window ina full screen fashion.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the previewwindow is configured to permit display of an RSS feed associated withthe second Web page.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the previewwindow is configured to permit display of a WAP version of the secondWeb page.
 21. The method of claim 17, wherein the preview window isconfigured to permit display of content from other Web pages deemedsimilar to the second Web page.
 22. A preview window associated with aWeb browser configured to display content of a second Web page linked toby a first Web page displayed in the browser in response to a cursorcontrol event associated with the first Web page, the preview windowincluding a toolbar providing access to one or more functions formanipulating content shown in the preview window.
 23. The preview windowof claim 22, wherein the toolbar provides access to one or more of thefollowing functions: a first function allowing a user to trace anavigation history within the preview window; a second function to closethe preview window; a third function to open a communication interfacethrough which the user can share contextual information concerning thesecond Web page; a fourth function to maintain display of the previewwindow; and a fifth function to display content of the preview window ina full screen fashion.
 24. The preview window of claim 22, wherein thepreview window is configured to permit display of an RSS feed associatedwith the second Web page.
 25. The preview window of claim 22, whereinthe preview window is configured to permit display of a WAP version ofthe second Web page.
 26. The preview window of claim 22, wherein thepreview window is configured to permit display of content from other Webpages deemed similar to the second Web page.
 27. A method, comprising,in response to a cursor control event associated with selected contentof a first Web page displayed in a browser, submitting the selectedcontent as a reference to a designated Web site selected from a menudisplayed in response to the cursor control event, and presentingresults from the designated Web site in a preview window superimposedover the first Web page displayed in the browser.
 28. The method ofclaim 27, wherein the cursor control event comprises a right mouseclick.
 29. The method of claim 27, wherein the designated Web sitecomprises a search engine.
 30. The method of claim 27, wherein thedesignated Web site comprises an on-line dictionary.
 31. The method ofclaim 27, wherein the designated Web site comprises an on-lineencyclopedia.
 32. A method, comprising extracting information fromInternet content in response to a cursor control operation associatedwith a cursor control menu option and saving content of a preview windowto a designated storage site in response thereto.
 33. A graphical userinterface for a computer system, comprising a cursor control menu havingarranged therein a single command, which when invoked in response to acursor control operation, will cause the computer system to executeinstructions to save designated content of a presently displayed Webpage to a designated storage site.
 34. A graphical user interface for acomputer system, comprising a cursor control menu having arrangedtherein one or more commands, which when invoked in response to a cursorcontrol operation, will cause the computer system to executeinstructions to submit selected content of a first Web page displayed ina browser of the computer system as a reference to a designated Website, and present results from the designated Web site in a previewwindow superimposed over the first Web page displayed in the browser.35. A method, comprising, in response to a first cursor control eventassociated with a first Web object, displaying a preview of a second Webobject, and preparing from the preview of the second Web object anelectronic postcard.
 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the electronicpostcard includes a music component.
 37. The method of claim 35, whereinthe electronic postcard includes a stamp component.
 38. A method,comprising displaying, in response to a first cursor control event, apreview page of a second Web object referenced by a first Web object;and, in response to a second cursor control event, submitting designatedinformation from the second Web object to a search engine as a searchquery.